Two Malian Guitar Greats, Gone But Still Wailing

Malian guitarist Lobi Traore died in 2010, at just 49. His last album is called Bwati Kono.

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Originally published on December 4, 2012 3:50 pm

Back in 1985, a young Malian named Zani Diabate became one of the first African musicians to release a successful album in Europe. He was soon crowded out by a flood of superstar African singers, but for anyone who experienced Diabate's rocking guitar tone and edgy African phrasing, the sound is unforgettable.

Diabate has a new CD called Tientalaw, but it's been released under the name Zani Diabate and Les Heritiers — "the heirs." Diabate's accompanists here include his own son, as well as the surviving sons of key members from his original band. Their youthful energy is part of what makes this album such a thrill, but when Diabate takes a solo, it's clear who the real master is.

Diabate came from venerable musical stock, starting out as a percussionist and evolving into an iconic guitar player. His fusion of rock aesthetics and deep African melody influenced a generation of Malian musicians — including Lobi Traore.

Traore's last album was called Bwati Kono, or "in the club." That's where Traore thrived, in the out of the way, working-class nightclubs of the Malian capital, Bamako, where he rocked ecstatic crowds into the wee hours of the night. Traore was a little guy, 5 feet tall at the most, but he sang about big things — fidelity, honesty, patriotism — and his electric guitar sound drove his messages home with conviction.

Traore was making plans to tour the U.S. with his band when he died of a heart attack in 2010, at just 49. Diabate passed away a year later, at 64. His heart also gave out, literally as he was picking up his axe to record in a Paris studio.

Despite their heavy sounds, it wasn't rock 'n' roll excess that felled these legends. More likely, it was the relentless grind of hardworking musicians in urban Africa — and maybe the share of those fragile hearts these two great pickers poured into their true grit performances.

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Transcript

MELISSA BLOCK, HOST:

Mali, in west Africa, is a hotbed of blazing electric guitar players. Two of the most amazing players died recently, and now there is new music out from both of them.

BANNING EYRE, BYLINE: Back in 1985, a young Zani Diabate became one of the first African musicians to release a successful album in Europe. He was soon crowded out by a flood of superstar African singers, but for anyone who experienced Zani's rocking guitar tone and edgy African phrasing, the sound is unforgettable.

(SOUNDBITE OF A SONG)

ZANI DIABATE: (Singing in foreign language)

EYRE: That's a self-praising song from a new CD called "Tientalaw" by Zani Diabate and Les Heritiers - The Heirs. Zani's accompanists here include his own son and the surviving sons of key members from his original band. Their youthful energy is part of what makes this album such a thrill, but when Zani takes a solo, it's clear who the real master is.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

EYRE: Zani came from venerable musical stock, starting out as a percussionist and evolving into an iconic guitar player. Zani's fusion of rock aesthetics and deep African melody influenced a generation of Malian musicians, including this guy - Lobi Traore.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

EYRE: This raw, rowdy, live recording comes from an album called "Bwati Kono," or "In the Club." That's where Lobi thrived, out of the way, working-class nightclubs of the Malian capital, Bamako, where he rocked ecstatic crowds into the wee hours of the night.

(SOUNDBITE OF A SONG)

LOBI TRAORE: (Singing in foreign language)

EYRE: Lobi was a little guy, 5-feet tall at the most, but he sang about big things - fidelity, honesty, patriotism - and his electric guitar sound drove his messages home with conviction.

(SOUNDBITE OF A SONG)

EYRE: Lobi was making plans to tour the U.S. with his band when he died from a heart attack in 2010, just 49 years old. Zani passed away a year later, at 64. His heart also gave out, literally as he was picking up his axe to record in a Paris studio.

Despite their heavy sounds, it wasn't rock 'n' roll excess that felled these legends. More likely, it was the relentless grind of hardworking musicians in urban Africa, and maybe the share of those fragile hearts these two great pickers poured into their true grit performances.

(SOUNDBITE OF MUSIC)

BLOCK: Banning Eyre is senior editor at AfroPop.org. He reviewed "Tientalaw" by Zani Diabate and "Bwati Kono" by Lobi Traore.